Louvre Abu Dhabi. (Photo: Mohamed Somji)
The Louvre Abu Dhabi opens on November 11 on Saadiyat Island’s Cultural District. It’s been a decade in the making, but here are some stats showing just how much has gone into it.
55 individual buildings, each inspired by traditional Arabic architecture and culture, make up this “museum city” designed by acclaimed French architect Jean Nouvel. The Louvre Abu Dhabi will cover 24,000 square meters.
30-and-a-half years: the amount of time the Louvre museum name will be loaned to the Louvre Abu Dhabi. The loan of temporary exhibitions will run for 15 years, with the loan of artworks lasting 10 years.
23 permanent galleries, organized in 12 sequences, will take visitors on a journey from ancient times to the 21st century. Three languages – Arabic, English, and French – will be used throughout the museum.
Louvre Abu Dhabi. (Photo: Mohamed Somji)
600 artworks are included in the Louvre Abu Dhabi’s collection. Among these are 300 works loaned from 13 key French institutions, such as the Musée du Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Musée du quai Branly, and Centre Pompidou.
7,500 tons: the weight of the Louvre Abu Dhabi’s domed roof (2,600 tons less than the Eiffel Tower). It took two years to complete.
7,850 star-shaped pieces of aluminum and stainless steel make up the dome’s eight layers of cladding. The largest stars are 13 meters in diameter and weigh 1.3 tons.
Louvre Abu Dhabi. (Photo: Mohamed Somji)
36 meters above ground: the highest point of the dome, which is supported by four towers.
85 super-sized prefabricated elements – with an average weight of 50 tons – give this project its unique structure and aesthetic.
Louvre Abu Dhabi. (Photo: Mohamed Somji)
8,600 square meters: the size of the interior exhibition spaces, comprising the museum galleries, temporary exhibition space, and children’s museum.
US $99-129 million: the estimated cost of construction. An additional US $525 million was paid by Abu Dhabi to be associated with the Louvre name.
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